No Meat May
There has been a lot of press about Plant Based diets recently. If you’re curious about switching to a plant based diet, No Meat May could be a good time to try. Now in its eighth year, this non-profit movement, in which more than 10,000 people across 50 countries participated in last year, once again invites people from all around the globe to sign up at the No Meat May website for free, and commit to giving up meat, or all animal products (including dairy and eggs) from their diets for the month of May, whether to improve your diet, or for ethical reasons.
We spoke to Culinary Dietician Caroline Trickey to get her tips on switching to a plant based diet. Here is what she had to say:
“Don’t just cut out meat. Replace it with plant based protein. Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, split peas) and soy products such as tofu and tempeh. Eggs and dairy as well if not vegan.”
“And eat a wide range of whole foods, and include a small amount of healthy fats from foods like nuts, seeds, avocado, nut butters or tahini.”
- Plan ahead – make use of our meal plans all done for you – many meat free dishes are actually tastier the following day so cook ahead where you can and use your freezer too
- Stick to easy dishes you already know. Especially during the week. Experiment with new recipes on the weekend
- Make sure to always include a good source of protein in main meals. If you’re hungry between meals include protein in snacks too. For snacking nuts are a great and healthy choice
- If it’s too hard to be completely plant based include a little dairy and eggs if it makes things easier
- Enjoy the process. See it as a fun experiment. Try new things. Keep an open mind. Especially when it comes to tofu. It really isn’t that bad!! In fact with the right recipe it can taste AMAZING!!!
The No Meat May website has a range of delicious meat free recipes to help you through the month of May meat free, and we have provided a few recipes to get you started below:
Image courtesy of Kindness Cafe
Red Thai Curry
Ingredients:
200ml Coconut Milk
1Tbsp Red Curry Paste (Kindness Café Blend)
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1 Tbsp Palm Sugar
2Tbsp Soy Sauce
Crinkle cut Carrots
Chopped Broccoli
Snowpeas – ends removed
Green Beans – chopped and ends removed
Chopped Firm Tofu
½ Cup Pineapple cubed
½ Cup Lychees
¼ Red Pepper chopped
2 Tbsp Red Thai Chilli
2 Handfuls of Basil
Method:
Mix Coconut Milk and Red Curry Paste over high heat until mixed. Add Kaffir Lime Leaves, Palm Sugar, 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce and stir. Add the Carrots, Broccoli, Snowpeas, Green Beans, and Chopped Firm Tofu, and stir while simmering. Add Pineapple, Lychees, and stir through. Then add the Red Pepper, Thai Red Chilli, and the Thai Basil. Stir through, and simmer until soft. Serve with rice. Note, the amount of carrot, broccoli, snowpeas, green beans and tofu is not specified. We used approx ½ cup of each – use according to your own preference.
Recipe courtesy of the Kindness Café – a vegan Thai restaurant based in Sydney, Australia.
Watch the how to make this recipe here – No Meat May Thai Red Curry
Green Papaya Salad
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Palm Sugar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
Pinch of Salt
15 Green Beans – sliced
7 Cherry Tomatoes – halved
Chopped Peanuts
2 Red Chillies – ends removed, seeds left in
2 Cups Green Papaya – Julienne cut
1 Cup Carrots – Julienne Cut
6 Cabbage leaves (for serving)
Method:
Mix the Palm Sugar, Soy Sauce, Lime Juice and Salt in a Mortar & Pestle. Add in the Green Beans, Tomatoes, Peanuts and Chillies, and mix again with the Mortar & Pestle. In a large bowl, mix the Green Papaya and Carrots, and add the Mortar & Pestle mixture. Mix well together. Put the cabbage leaves onto a platter, and spoon the salad onto them. Garnish with a wedge of lime, and more chopped peanuts.
Recipe courtesy of the Kindness Café – a vegan Thai restaurant based in Sydney, Australia.
Watch the how to make this recipe here – No Meat May Green Papaya Salad
Image courtesy of Kindness Cafe
Image courtesy of Tasha’s Artisan Foods
Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
3-4 servings 20 Minutes 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 large Sweet Potato, cooked and peeled
1/2 cup Coconut milk. You may need more. You can use any milk of your choice
12-14 Dates, pitted and soaked in hot water You can use date syrup, honey or maple syrup instead
1/4 cup cocoa powder
A small pinch of sea salt
Garnish:
Pistachio slivers, Fresh Orange Zest and Sea salt
Instructions:
Roughly chop the sweet potato. Add the chopped sweet potato, coconut milk, soaked dates, sea salt and cocoa powder to your blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness. You may want to add more cocoa powder or dates. If the pudding seems too thick, add more coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time. Transfer into pretty serving dishes and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Garnish with pistachios, orange zest, and sea salt and serve. Enjoy.
Recipe courtesy of Tasha’s Artisan Foods
All recipes and images provided by Soda Communications – thank you.
Are you tempted to try No Meat May? Do you like the sound of any of the recipes above or on the No Meat May website? Let us know in the comments below.
